To learn more about Women’s Health Week, “CityNews” spoke with some  experts across Canberra who have tips, insights and advice to help women lead healthier lives.

WOMEN’S Health Week is a campaign of events and online activities centred on improving women’s health.

Running from September 4-8, the week is a reminder for women to set aside time for their wellbeing.

Each day of the week will focus on an important women’s health topic including menopause, pelvic health, mind health, movement and health checks.

To learn more, “CityNews” spoke with some experts across Canberra who have tips, insights and advice to help women lead healthier lives.

Dr Vass offers life-changing hearing help

GETTING help with hearing loss is all about improving communication and gaining clarity, says Dr Vass Hearing Clinic principal Dr William Vass.

Offering professional, independent advice and treatment, Dr Vass says taking the first step with a hearing test can be life-changing.

“We know hearing loss can be linked to anxiety, isolation, anger, relationship issues, work issues and miscommunication in general,” he says.

“After treatment or rehabilitation patients can find it a lot easier to get along with people, don’t have to guess so much and are much more confident in their communication skills, especially with their partner.”

While hearing loss can come with ageing, Dr Vass says it can also often affect young people too.

“Those exposed to loud noises in military and construction fields can experience hearing loss. Some people might be genetically exposed to hearing loss or there could be viral infections,” he says.

“It’s very important to act early. Waiting too long can start to see a disconnect between the brain and the ear.

“We find that those people who put off getting help with their hearing loss for long periods don’t have as successful outcomes as those who seek help earlier.”

Dr Vass says patients have the certainty that they’ll be seeing him when they visit the clinic and that he will provide one-on-one, tailored care and advice.

“It’s rewarding to help people not be so isolated, and help improve their communication with others, especially their loved ones,” he says.

Dr Vass Hearing Clinic, suite 14, John James Medical Centre, 175 Strickland Crescent, Deakin. Visit drvasshearing.com.au or call 6282 2717.

A culturally safe service for indigenous women

WINNUNGA Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services is a culturally safe service that provides holistic care to indigenous women throughout Canberra and the surrounding region, says CEO Julie Tongs.

“It is well documented that Aboriginal women die eight to 10 years younger than non-Aboriginal women and carry a higher burden of chronic disease at very young ages,” says Julie.

“It is important for women who are struggling to reach out to the Winnunga social health team or a Winnunga staff member to seek assistance. They should never feel ashamed as there is assistance available.”

Poverty, racism, trauma, addiction, mental health issues, domestic violence, homelessness and incarceration are just some of the issues that Julie says are affecting indigenous women every day.

On top of providing assistance with all of those issues, she says Winnunga can help secure access to covid testing and vaccination, child protection, court and Centrelink support and assist with the filling out of paperwork.

“Winnunga provides GPs, nurses, midwives, a drug and alcohol nurse, and a mental health nurse who are also able to be accessed in the Alexander Maconochie Centre,” she says.

“We also have allied health professionals in our clinic who the GPs can do internal referrals to. They include the social health team psychiatrist, psychologists, sessional dietitians, an audiologist, optometrist, physiotherapist and a podiatrist.”

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, 63 Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. Call 6284 6222 or visit winnunga.org.au

Passionate about managing women’s health

DR Shiamala Suntharalingam has been working in the women’s health industry since becoming a GP, 22 years ago.

“It is so important for women to come for guidance or to get checked, because there could be something wrong and it’s much better to know sooner rather than later,” she says.

“I can help with everything from birth control, menstrual pain, menopause, osteoporosis, mental health, eating disorders, fertility screening and breast screening.

“I’ve also been doing medical terminations of pregnancies for more than a year now.”

Shiamala says she’s passionate about helping women manage their health, and able to help find the more specialised treatments once she’s done all that she can as GP.

“I am a GP who can do everything, but I just have a passion and particular interest for women’s health,” she says.

“I know Canberra Hospital has a great endometriosis clinic.

“I train and gain further certificates to continue updating myself and my knowledge of what’s going on in women’s health.”

Shiamala says it is a very satisfying experience knowing she is doing a good job and helping women to manage their health.

“You can speak to someone caring, who understands and has experienced the issues of womanhood.”

Canberra Family Planning, Erindale Healthcare, corner of Comrie Street and McBryde Crescent, Wanniassa. Call 6296 2266, or visit canberrafamilyplanning.com.au

Help to live a more fulfilling life

IT is well researched that women carry the burden of disease when it comes to autoimmune and chronic pain conditions, says CEO of Arthritis ACT, Rebecca Davey.

“This is partially related to the extreme stress normal physiological events such as pregnancy and menopause place on the female body,” she says.

“At Arthritis ACT we support women to be able to self manage many of the effects of inflammatory disease and other chronic pain and fatigue conditions to assist them to live more fulfilling and self-sustaining lives.

“Exercise is a key component for most inflammatory and pain conditions.

Rebecca says Arthritis ACT offers support to formulate appropriate exercise prescriptions to ensure that exercise helps rebuild trust in exercise as therapy.

“We will start with you slowly, recommending exercise that you will enjoy, and that will also reduce the isolation that your pain may be causing, and reintroduce you to having some fun whilst exercising,” she says.

“We have a broad approach to exercise – it can occur anywhere! We offer hydrotherapy, group ‘gym’ type classes, Nordic walking, tai chi, pilates and yoga. Many of these programs can be carried out in your home or place of preference.

“Mental support is also important when living with any pain or fatiguing condition. We have a large range of support groups, some which meet face to face and others that are entirely online, helping you fit this in your busy life.”

Arthritis ACT, Pain Support & ME/CFS ACT, 170 Haydon Drive, Bruce. Call 1800 011041, or visit arthritisact.org.au

Dr Tran helps ‘significantly’ improve incontinence

A NON-INVASIVE procedure that can help treat mild to moderate urinary incontinence is available at Wattle Street Medical Practice, says Dr Tuan Quoc Tran.

Dr Tran says the BTL EMSELLA chair uses high intensity, focused electromagnetic technology to stimulate the pelvic floor muscles, with no recovery time required, and patients remain fully clothed during treatment.

“This BTL EMSELLA chair can help patients with weak bladder causing urine leaking when coughing, laughing, sneezing, running or jumping, and urgency in rushing to the toilets frequently,” says Dr Tran.

He says he has more than four years experience using this technology and is now treating patients before and after prostate cancer surgery.

“I recommend early treatment, prior to surgery to help with a quicker recovery after surgery, to rebuild muscle,” he says.

Patients must book in for an initial assessment with Dr Tran to determine suitability for this treatment, and Dr Tran recommends six 30-minute sessions, scheduled twice a week, for three consecutive weeks, for optimum results.

“Scientific research shows that 95 per cent of incontinent patients reported significant improvement in day-to-day life and 85 per cent improvement was observed in overall intimate satisfaction,” says Dr Tran.

“Here at the practice I have treated hundreds of patients, with excellent results.”

A BTL EMSELLA spokesperson says the chair can support muscle re-education of incontinent patients, women after childbirth and those with decreased intimate satisfaction.

Wattle Street Medical Practice, 83 Wattle Street, O’Connor. Call 6248 5446 or 6247 4807.

Tiny seeds a storehouse of protein and vitamins

HEMP seeds are a storehouse of protein, Vitamin E, minerals and healthy fats, says store manager Sue Booth.

“From heart health, digestive health to skin issues, the tiny seeds can work wonders for your health,” she says.

“They are particularly useful for women’s health as they aid in hormone balance and relieve PMS symptoms.

“Hemp seed oil improves immunity, helps to naturally reduce inflammation levels and strengthen the immune system because of its perfect fatty acid profile of omega-3 fats and Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).”

Sue says hemp has strength, medicinal and nutritional value, and was first cultivated more than 10,000 years ago.

“Hemp shampoo and conditioner are also very good for your hair,” she says.

“Hemp oil infused products will nourish your scalp and aid in strengthening the keratin layer of each strand of hair.

“And the stronger your hair is, the less likely your strands are to be susceptible to breakage.”

And, Sue says the store also has a range of clothing and linen, fabrics, bedding and cushions.

“All made to promote wellbeing.”

South Pacific Hemp, 84 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Call 0431 318898 or visit southpacifichemp.com.au

Pilates is the perfect training partner for life

OWNER of The Pilates Centre Canberra, Felicia Darbyshire- Pirie, says she’s proud that the centre provides pilates sessions that focus on each individual.

“We believe in quality over quantity,” says Felicia, a pilates instructor of more than 15 years.

“Pilates is total body strengthening, conditioning and re-balancing, which is why it’s perfect for women at any stage of life. To me it’s a combination of intuition and science that helps people enjoy life and achieve goals.

From teenagers, pre and post natal, perimenopausal through to postmenopausal, Felicia says the centre welcomes anyone regardless of experience or fitness level.

“We also work with many women that have women’s specific conditions such as endometriosis, where the body needs space and compassion to recover. Each individual’s journey is different and therefore we are never comparing one person to another,” she says.

She believes a good instructor is what makes all the difference.

“We only hire really high-quality instructors with really good qualifications,” she says.

“At the Pilates Centre we often work with women’s health specialists such as osteopaths and physiotherapists for client goals.

“I like to say pilates is the perfect training partner for everything, especially for life.”

The Pilates Centre Canberra, 58 Colbee Court, Phillip. Call 6162 1793, or visit pilatescentre.com.au

Beauty services with an empathetic nature

ARTISTICA Cosmetics is a small home studio that opened at the beginning of the year to offer permanent makeup artistry, says owner Afra Yazdan, pictured.

“I offer eyebrow, eyeliner and lip tattoo and non-laser tattoo removals,” she says.

“I also have a background as a dental practitioner, and I will soon be adding professional-grade teeth whitening to my services.

“We are also starting a campaign to see cancer survivors, free of charge, to offer tattooing, which includes their choice of tattoo service, six to eight weeks of follow ups and touch ups, and some aftercare products.

Clients can expect the use of the highest-quality pigments for a natural appearance across a diverse range of services.”

Afra says she prides herself on her ability to connect and empathise with clients, taking into consideration their unique needs, preferences and desires to deliver customised cosmetic solutions.

Afra says she has lost someone close to her from cancer, and her husband has someone in his family who has fought cancer, too.

“We decided we wanted to contribute our share to the community, to bring people some happiness,” she says.

“People can find the details on our website. One person will have their name drawn each month, starting from September 1 and running to November 30.

Artistica Cosmetics. Call 0431 223098, or visit artisticacosmetics.com.au

Nick’s got the gear to get women running

THE Runners Shop carries a great range of shoes for running, walking or going to the gym, says owner and long-time runner Nick Walshe.

“Having a pair of well cushioned shoes is important – for all types of exercise, but especially for runners,” says Nick.

“This is because runners are often sending a force equivalent to around four times our body weight, which impacts on our knees, feet and lower back.

“Good cushioning in runners helps with injury prevention, especially when increasing your training. Running shoes are also designed to flex in a way that supports the motion of your foot when running – much more so than training shoes or casual shoes. With a team of passionate staff all actively involved in running, Nick says customers can experience first hand knowledge of the products available.

“We take the time to make sure we help customers find the right pair of shoes – suitable for their feet and fitted correctly,” says Nick.

“Our shoe brands include Brooks, Hoka, Saucony, New Balance, Asics, Mizuno, On, Altra and Topo. Nick says running can be incredibly beneficial not just physically, but also mentally.

“It’s a great way to relieve stress, and find some balance in our busy lives,” he says. “Also, with the many running groups and events in Canberra these days, there is a social community side to running as well. And it’s surprisingly addictive!”

The Runners Shop, 76 Dundas Court, Phillip. Call 6285 3508, or visit therunnersshop.com.au